Lawyers deny ex-President Yameen refused to get vaccine

The legal team of former President Abdulla Yameen has denied statements by authorities that he refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Maldives Correctional Service reported that Yameen was transported to Male’ City to get the COVID-19 vaccine at approximately 21:45 on Wednesday. He was transported back to Maafushi Prison after he refused to get vaccinated. Sun has been informed Yameen was transported to Male’ to get administered the Pfizer vaccine, available only to select groups by appointment.

A statement by the legal team issued tonight read that the Corrections purposefully issued such a false statement to demean and defame the ex-president and that the account by the authorities was not factual. 

The legal team's statement confirmed that Yameen was transported to Male' City last night to get vaccinated but was kept inside the speedboat in the capital harbor due to mismanaged transportation. 

"The former President was taken back to Maafushi Prison without even disembarking to Male' City, not because he refused to get vaccinated in any way," read the legal team's statement, which attributed the whole affair to the mismanagement of the vaccination for President Yameen as the main reason.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated just before the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan that President Yameen would not face any hardships and that discussions were underway to make convenient arrangements for Yameen such as moving him to house arrest. 

Yameen's family has previously requested for him to be moved to house arrest due to his ill health. He is serving a five-year prison sentence for money laundering charges related to the massive MMPRC scandal.